Colbert Events Fill September

COLBERT COUNTY – With Labor Day celebrations, festivals aplenty, a state fair, and motorcycle rides, September is chock-full of things to do in Colbert County.

The events kick off Monday, September 4 with Labor Day celebrations at Spring Park in Tuscumbia and at Key Underwood Memorial Coon Dog Cemetery near Cherokee.

The Shoals Area Central Labor Council’s annual Labor Day celebration at Spring Park begins at 10am on September 4 with a parade along Main Street in Tuscumbia. Political speeches, music, and other activities will follow at 11am. The celebration is the oldest of its kind in Alabama. For more details, call 256-383-2758.

The annual Key Underwood Memorial Coon Dog Cemetery Labor Day Celebration begins at 10am on September 4 at the world-famous cemetery at 4945 Coon Dog Cemetery Road in Cherokee. It includes a liar’s contest, arts and crafts, barbecue, and music. More details are available at www.coondogcemetery.com.

Singers from throughout the Southeast will assemble in Tuscumbia on Thursday, September 7 with hopes of becoming the next American Idol. Auditions will be held at Alabama Music Hall of Fame at 617 U.S. Highway 72 at 4pm. For more details, call 256-381-4417.

The annual Oka Kapassa, Return to Coldwater Festival, is Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9 at Spring Park. Admission is free to the festival that celebrates the rich traditions and cultures of American Indians. The celebration features American Indian dancers, story tellers, musicians, artists and vendors. More information is available at www.okakapassa.org or by calling 256-383-0783.

The rest of September will be continued next week.

The Walk of Life from Tuscumbia Landing in Sheffield to Spring Park commemorates the return of American Indians to eastern states following the Trail of Tears. It begins at 9am on September 9. More details are available at www.returnwalk.org.

A new statue depicting Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan will be unveiled at Ivy Green at 300 N. Commons St. West in Tuscumbia, in a ceremony that begins at 2pm on Saturday, September 9.

The Cherokee Cotton Festival gets underway Wednesday, September 13 in downtown Cherokee with a gospel music concert that begins at 6pm. The festival continues Thursday, September 14 with karaoke at 6pm, and Friday, September 15 is movie night. Saturday, September 16 features activities throughout the day including a yard sale at 7am, car show at 10am, and a horseshoe tournament at 2pm.

Music by the Harvey Thompson Trio gets underway at 4pm and the Midnighters play at 7pm. For more details, call 256-359-4959.

Motorcycle riders from throughout the nation will converge on Colbert and Lauderdale counties Saturday, September 16 during the Trail of Tears motorcycle rides. The Trail of Tears Memorial Motorcycle Ride begins in Chattanooga, Tennessee and ends at Natchez Trace Harley-Davidson in Tuscumbia. More details are available at www.trailoftearsmemorialassoc.com

The Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride begins in Bridgeport and ends in Waterloo. More details are available at www.al-tn-trailoftears.net.

The North Alabama State Fair is Tuesday, September 19 through Sunday, September 24 on the fairgrounds at 65 Sportsplex Drive in Muscle Shoals. The fair features exhibits, agricultural competitions, rides, live acts, beauty pageants, cheerleading and dance contests, a demolition derby and lawnmower races. More details are available at www.northalabamastatefair.org.